He Said/She Said

A Novel

By: Erin Kelly

Narrated by: Jonathan Broadbent, Helen Johns

Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

"The dual narrators, Helen Johns and Jonathan Broadbent...are versatile in tone and theatrically fitting as the drama of the story builds to its climax." — AudioFile Magazine

"A tour de force – a gripping, twisting, furiously clever read that asks all the right questions, and keeps you guessing until the very end. I loved it." — Ruth Ware, bestselling author of The Woman in Cabin 10

"Haunting. Mesmerizing. Unforgettable." — Gillian Flynn

In the summer of 1999, Kit and Laura travel to a festival in Cornwall to see a total eclipse of the sun. Kit is an eclipse chaser; Laura has never seen one before. Young and in love, they are certain this will be the first of many they’ll share.

But in the hushed moments after the shadow passes, Laura interrupts a man and a woman. She knows that she saw something terrible. The man denies it. It is her word against his.

The victim seems grateful. Months later, she turns up on their doorstep like a lonely stray. But as her gratitude takes a twisted turn, Laura begins to wonder—did she trust the wrong person?

15 years later, Kit and Laura married are living under new names and completely off the digital grid: no Facebook, only rudimentary cell phones, not in any directories. But as the truth catches up to them, they realize they can no longer keep the past in the past.

From Erin Kelly, queen of the killer twist, He Said/She Said is a gripping tale of the lies we tell to save ourselves, the truths we cannot admit, and how far we will go to make others believe our side of the story.

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books

©2017 ES Moylan Ltd. (P)2017 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Critic reviews

"Heart-pounding.” — The New York Times

“The shocker twist is a jaw-dropper” — Good Housekeeping

“He Said/She Said" is a thriller to savor, and should be one of the highlights of the summer.” — Associated Press

Twist and turns.....little white lies

This book takes you in several directions centered around relationships, personalities, perspectives and lies. It hits addiction, rape, anxiety, and power. The twist and turns come and continue to bounce you back and forth.

So many twists and turns you wont know who to trust!

You know those books that after you finish reading you have no idea what you read but while you were reading you liked it?! Well that was this book. I have no idea what i just read but i liked it. And i think with mysteries thats how it should be, you should be asking questions and a bit confused trying figure out whats what.
The story is told mainly from "she said" and not as much "he said". The he said from Kit didnt seem to have to do anything with the trial or the rape, just the future for the most part.
I enjoyed "sha said" Laura's side of the story better because there was more dept and was a continuous story as opposed to Kit it seemed more random in the beginning. The he said she said flowed better in the second half of the book of flipping between perspectives.
Laura witness a supposed rape, is put on trail to testify, but was it rape or was it consensual or something else.
Beth... do i trust her, believe her, want her to win, really want to know what the hell is wrong with Beth!
Do I believe Laura? Do i believe Kit? Do i believe no one and everyone is lying!?
I want to know to the truth!
It was intense and gripping at times and i really enjoyed it.

"If revenge is a dish best served cold then confessions should be served piping hot"

Starts Slow, Ends Before It Should

This book flips between various character's point of view; be forewarned.

The story starts slowly giving a fair amount of detail about eclipses/chasing eclipses, but then sort of forgets that this is part of the original plotline. The story also has 'personal' information that comes out in later chapters changing what you think you already know and leaving you wanting to flip back to reread (which you can't with audio) to refresh what you were previously told about the events. Some of the 'new' information doesn't seem plausible based on the way the story originally unfolded - more of a rushed way to push toward an ending that may not have been on the original outline. The character development is good, and I do like that the author is shedding light on some ugly truths about rape and the legal system. However, the conclusion to the story is abrupt with no real information about the spouse/children of the original offender, the rushed/no detailed second trial of the story, and the cliffhanger ending which should only be used for movies.

Ultimately, this is more of a background noise book, and not something to curl up with if you're planning to really pay attention.

Best Audio Book I’ve Listened To!

I usually just give stars for reviews. I listen to so many books. This book tops all! It’s smart. It’s suspenseful. It’s SO well written! I’m usually disappointed because I always see the plot twists long before they happen. This book totally caught me off guard. I LOVED this book!! Kudos to the author and the performers. It was a perfectly executed work of art!!

Well written, great plot

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me fully engaged from beginning to end and had great, unexpected twists. The story is also wonderfully written, with many thoughtful similes and metaphors that had me thoroughly impressed by the author. I would highly recommend this book if you like suspense novels.

Great book!

Thoroughly enjoyable story, with totally unexpected twists and turns!! And narration helped it on its way! You won't regret using your credit!!

Outstanding. Near Perfect.

This book is exceptional, original, and such a breath of fresh air.
Erin Kelly knows how to bring the reader right into the center of a situation.
The main character is vulnerable without feeling weak. All of the main players are relatable, human, and interesting.
The development of every detail is so refreshing.
There is such beautifully descriptive language and there’s a level of detail here that I really appreciate.
You’ve never read a book like this before.
Just when you think that you’ve got things figured out, everything switches and you’re just like “OMG WHAT???”
I love when an author surprises the reader in a clever and original way.
This was so good I binge read it in two nights and literally missed sleep just to find out what happened next.
You know you’ve read something wonderful when you are legitimately sad for it to end.
The narrators are fantastic.
I truly have no clue how several people gave this book and it’s narration really bad reviews.
I found the performances to be exceptional and Erin Kelly has a gift with the written word.
She is highly intelligent, incredibly articulate, and she understands how to create an atmosphere, and pull you straight to the center of it, as if you’re sitting in the room.
I loved this story, the characters, and the narrators.
I will certainly be anticipating more from this very, very talented writer.
It’s been quite a while since I was so pleasantly surprised by an author I’d never heard of.
Please give me more!
So much potential I can’t imagine how many wonderful mysteries this author has just waiting to come out.
Five Stars all the way 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Great listen!

What a wonderful book to listen to and so well performed...I couldn’t stop once I started and will be looking forward to more of Erin Kelley’s work

Very pleasantly surprised

The beginning is a bit slow but the payoff is worth it. The story is layered, emotional, and complicated, and the twist towards the end was a complete surprise. Great book, highly recommended.

Loved it!

What did you love best about He Said/She Said?

To be completely honest, I thought this book had some pretty serious lulls and the beginning was a little confusing to me. BUT I love books that go back and forth in time, so i stuck with it. I am soooo glad I did! Although there were some boring parts to this book and it did seem to drone on a bit, those parts were not wasted, it weaved an interesting and compelling storyline that all came together in the end. Lots of twists here. Don't give up on this book!